Reciprocating brush device.



No. 826,526. PATENTED JULY 1'7, 1906. H. L. RAMBBAU.

REGIPROGATING BRUSH DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0016. 1903.

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Inventor Mn: eases I Harry L [Eam eau.

PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

H. L. RAMBEAIL. RECIPROGATING BRUSH DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 6. 1903.

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Wzznesses- Ear/7 L .ZZam 5mg $2 Atzqrn ey in: Mmenls PETERspc WASHINGTON, n. c.

PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

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Inventor H. L. RAMBEAU.

RECIPROOATING BRUSH DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED OCT. 6. 1903 Wztnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. RAMBEAU, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE BULLOCK ELECTRIC COMPANY, A COR- PORATION OF OHIO.

RECIPROCATING BRUSH DEVICE- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L; RAMBEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reciprocating Brush Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to dynamo-electric machines and to means for reciprocating the brushes in the direction of the axis of the rotating' part of the machine, which reciprocation is continuous while the machine is in operation.

When the brushes are fixed in position and the machine operated for a considerable length of time, the wear of the brushes upon the commutator or collectingrings, as the case may be, causes grooves to be formed thereon and a very uneven surface, so that the amount of surface contact between the brushes and commutator or rings becomes very much reduced. This poor surface contact not only causes sparking, with its disastrous effects, but greatly increases the friction, and after the contacting parts have become imeven to a slight degree the tendency to further grooving and roughness is greatly increased. This difliculty is overcome by my invention, and there is a continual change of contacting surfaces caused by an axial movement given to the brushes.

My invention relates to that class of ma chines in which means is provided for imparting reciprocating motion to the brush-yoke, which yoke carries all the brushes. By my invention this construction is adapted for very large machines.

My invention also consists in improved means for supporting the brushes and brushrings.

The features of novelty will be disclosed in the appended claims and will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings, which show the preferred form of construction.

Figure 1 is an end view of a machine having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view with part of the brush-yoke broken away. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the brush-yoke supports. Fig. 4 is a sectional View on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 6, 1903. Serial No. 175,959.

Patented July 17, 1906,

sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the ring-support for the brushes on line 6 6 of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6, and Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged detail views of the driving parts.

Within the frame 1 is located the armature 2, having the commutator 3 and the brushes 4 bearing thereon, as is customary. Only a few brushes are shown; but it will be understood that they are uniformly spaced around the whole commutator. All the brushes are carried by a yoke comprising the inner ring 5, outer ring 6, and intermediate arms 7. The yoke is carried by supports 8, which engage the periphery of the ring 6.

The construction of the supports 8 is clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The supports are fixed to the frame 1 of the machine by bolts 9 and nuts 10. The supports are angular in form, as shown in Fig. 5, and are strengthened by the ribs 11. The central portion of each support is provided with a recess 12, within which extends one end of the roller 13. This roller is grooved, as at 14, to receive the plate 15, which is secured by the screws 16 to the upright wall of the support 8. The roller 13 is therefore free to turn. The roller is also provided with the closed inclined groove 17 Upon the roller is mounted the shoe 18, which extends the full length of the support 8, as shown in Fig. 3. A, screw 19 passes through what is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as the top part of the shoe 18 and carries the antifriction-roller 20, which engages the groove 17. Babbitt metal 21 is dovetailed onto the shoe 18, and its face is of the same curvature as the eriphery of ring 6 of the brushyoke. It is a so provided with the groove 22, which receives the projecting rim 23 of the brush-yoke. It is evident that. when the roller 13 is rotated a reciprocating movement will be imparted to the shoe, and consequently to the brush-yoke.

Although in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 the shoe is shown below the support 8, it will be understood that the device may occupy any position around the brush-yoke and that the lower supports will take the weight of the yoke and the remaining supports serve as guides for the same. Two seats for the shoe 18 are provided on each support 8. The portions 24 24 are recessed, as shown in Fig. 5.

as shown in Fig. 6.

Vithin these recesses and upon the shoe 18 are placed the hardened-steel plates 25, and between them are located the cylindrical rollers 26. The projections 27 and central portions of the shoe and the supports prevent endwise displacement of the rollers 26. With this roller-bearing the supports may take the great weight of the yoke and at the same time allow free movement thereof.

The means for imparting rotation to the roller 13 from the main shaft of the machine will now be described. To the outer end of the roller 13 is secured the ratchet-wheel 28 by means of the screws 29. The arm 30 is journaled upon the roller 13 and retained thereon by the ratchet-wheel. This arm carries a pawl 31, pressed by the spring 32, to engage the ratchet-wheel. A spring-pressed pawl 33 is secured to the support 8 and prevents any backward movement of the ratchet. Oscillating movement of arm 30 is obtained by means of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A belt 34 is driven from the main shaft 35 and drives a pulley 36, geared to a small shaft 37, which passes through the frame 1, and has secured at its opposite end a pinion 38, which drives the gear 39. A pin is eccentrically mounted on gear 39 and drives all the rods 41, giving them a reciprocating motion. The rods 41 are connected to the arms 30, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. They are also connected at points intermediate the arms 30 to other arms 42, pivoted on the frame 1 of the machine. Of course as many supports for the brush-yoke and as many intermediate arms may be used as is deemed desirable in any particular instance. A hand-wheel 43 is mounted on the main frame and connected to the brush-yoke for the purpose of adjusting the position of the brushes. I

The method of supporting the brushes and brush-rings is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The ring 5 of the brush-yoke is made in U form, Asingle plate 44 acts as a support for the brush-holder 45 and the brushring 46 and also serves as the electrical connection between them. The plate is secured to the ring 5 by the bolts 47, and the brush-ring 46, which is built up of copper strips, is secured to the plate by the bolts 48. The bolts 47 are insulated from the ring 5 by the insulating-sleeves 49 and washers 50, and the plate 44 is likewise insulated by the insulating-plate 51. The plate is provided with an inwardly-extending stud 52 integral therewith, to which the brush-holder is secured. The latter embraces the stud 52 and is clamped thereon by the bolt 53. By this construction the brush-holder is radially adjustable. The brush-holder comprises two arms, which support the rod 54 between them and which carries the brushes. The brush-ring 46 is supported by and connected to every alternate plate 44, and a similar brush-ring 46 (shown in dotted lines) is located on the opposite side of the ring 5 and connected to the intermediate alternate plates 44, one ring being thus connected to all the positive brushes and the other to all the negative brushes.

The operation of my device, although evident from the foregoing description, is in brief as follows: The belt 34 is driven from the main shaft and drives the gear 39 through intermediate gearing, giving a reciprocating movement to the rods 41. The latter through the arms 30 and pawls 31 impart an intermittent rotary motion to the ratchetwheels 28 and rollers 13. This causes each shoe 18 to be given a reciprocating motion, and therefore the brush-yoke is moved to and fro over the commutator in an axial direction with reference to the shaft.

I claim as my invention 1. In a reciprocating device for brushes, a brushyoke, means engaging said yoke, a member having inclined surfaces engaged by said means, and additional means for imparting motion to said member.

2. In a reciprocating device for brushes, a brush-yoke, means engaging said yoke, a roller having inclined surfaces engaged by said means and additional means for imparting motion to said roller.

3. In a reciprocating device for brushes, a brush-yoke, and one or more supports therefor, comprising means engaging the yoke, a roller having an inclined groove, a projection engaging said groove and carried by said means, and means for rotating the roller.

4. In a reciprocating device for brushes, a brush-yoke, and one or more supports therefor, comprisim a shoe engaging the yoke, a roller on which said shoe is mounted, said roller having an inclined groove, a projection carried by the shoe en aging said groove, and means for rotating the roller.

5. In a reciprocating device for brushes, a brush-yoke, and one or more supports therefor, comprising a shoe engaging the yoke, a fixed support, a roller freely supported in said fixed support, said roller having an inclined groove engaged by a projection carried by the shoe, and means for rotating the roller.

6. In a reciprocating device for brushes, a brush-yoke, and one or more supports therefor, comprising a shoe enga ing the yoke, a fixed support, a roller freey supported in said fixed support, said roller having an inclined groove engaged by a projection carried by the shoe, antifriction-rollers between said shoe and fixed support, and means for rotating said first-named roller.

7. In a reciprocating device for brushes, a brush-yoke, and one or more supports therefor, comprising a shoe engaging the yoke, a roller on which said shoe is mounted, said roller having an inclined groove, a projection carried by the shoe engaging said groove, a

ratchet-wheel secured to said roller, a pawl engaging the ratchet-wheel, and means for reciprocating the pawl.

8. In a reciprocating device for brushes, a brush-yoke, and one or more supports therefor, comprising a shoe engaging the yoke, a fixed support, a roller freely supported in said fixed support, said roller having an inclined groove engaged by a projection carried by the shoe, antifriction-rollers between said shoe and fixed support, a ratchet-wheel secured to said first-named roller, an arm mounted on the roller, a pawl carried thereby engaging the ratchet-wheel, and means for oscillating said arm.

9. In a dynamo-electric machine, a brushyoke and a plate secured thereto which supports the brush-holder and also the brush- T1110.

I 0. In a dynamo-electric machine, a brushyoke, a plate secured thereto but insulated therefrom, which supports both the brushholder and brush-ring and serves as the electrical connection between the brushes an ring.

11. In a dynamo-electric machine, a brushyoke, a plate secured to the inner side thereof but insulated therefrom and connected to the brush-ring, said plate having an inwardly-projecting stud, and a brush-holder clamped on said stud and radially adjustable thereon.

12. In a dynamo-electric machine, abrushyoke, brush-rings on opposite sides thereof, brush-holders within said yoke and plates bolted to and insulated from the brush-yoke which serve to support the brush-rings and brush-holders.

18. In adynamo-electric machine, a brushyoke, brush-rings on opposite sides thereof, plates bolted to and insulated from said yoke and connected to the brushrings, said plates having studs integral therewith and brushholders secured to said studs.

14. In adynamo-electric machine, a brushyoke, brush-rings on opposite sides thereof, plates bolted to and insulated from said yoke, and connected to the brush-rings, said plates having studs integral therewith and brush-holders clamped to and radially adjustable upon said studs.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY L. RAMBEAU.

Witnesses:

L, C. BLACK, L. K. SAGER. 

